From Hilarious Tweets to Viral TikToks: The Enduring Charm of Poorly Explaining Your Job

The age-old question, “What do you do for a living?”, can often feel like an awkward interrogation. But thanks to a viral internet trend, people are finding hilarious new ways to describe their professions as poorly as possible, turning discomfort into widespread laughter and sparking a new wave of relatability across social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok.

For many, the question “What do you do for a living?” at a social gathering can be an immediate conversation killer, prompting either a defensive explanation or an embellished fantasy. We often struggle to describe our daily grind in an engaging yet accurate way, making this seemingly simple query surprisingly complex. This universal discomfort has paved the way for a wonderfully absurd and highly relatable internet trend: poorly explaining your job for a living.

What began as a simple online game has blossomed into a global phenomenon, inviting people to strip away corporate jargon and articulate their work in the most comically imprecise terms possible. The result is a treasure trove of laugh-out-loud descriptions that offer a refreshing, honest, and often surprisingly accurate glimpse into various professions.

The Origins of a Hilarious Trend

The concept of “badly explaining your profession” isn’t new, but its recent surge in popularity can be traced back to early social media interactions. The online survey game gained traction around January 2017, with Redditors and Twitter users kicking off the trend. On January 1st, 2017, Redditor dot_bomber_95 posted “how would you badly explain your hobby?” to the r/AskWomen subreddit, receiving numerous comments within weeks. Just days later, on January 4th, Twitter user @stat_ _murse posted an image with the message “badly explain your profession” alongside the hashtag “#badlyexplainyourprofession,” as documented by Know Your Meme. This initial spark ignited a widespread digital fire, evolving from Reddit threads and Facebook posts to its current viral status on TikTok.

The trend provides a unique outlet for creativity and humor, allowing individuals to poke fun at the often-serious nature of their work. It fosters a sense of community by highlighting the shared experiences—and frustrations—that unite us, regardless of our professional titles.

One of the delights of this trend is trying to guess the profession behind the deliberately vague descriptions. These aren’t just silly phrases; they often carry a profound, if understated, truth about the daily realities of work.

Here are some of the most memorable and accurate “poorly explained jobs” that have captured the internet’s attention:

“Fire start, I go splish splash, firen’t.” – This concise explanation for a Firefighter is both blunt and utterly effective.
“Customer angry, call me, customer angrier.” – A poignant summary of life in Customer Service or as a Call Center Agent, where resolving issues often means absorbing frustration.

A person looking stressed while talking on a headset, representing the frustration described by a customer service representative as 'customer angry, call me, customer angrier'. — The face of exasperation, familiar to anyone who’s spent time in customer service.

“Ppl sad, ppl pay me, ppl still sad but understand why.” – This gem perfectly encapsulates the work of a Therapist or Counselor, highlighting the journey of understanding rather than instant cures.
“Car go kaput, make car go vroom again.” – A straightforward, yet amusing, description of a Mechanic’s essential skill.

A person looking thoughtful, suggesting a therapist's role in helping people understand their sadness rather than instantly curing it, as described by 'ppl sad, ppl pay me, ppl still sad but understand why'. — Understanding the roots of sadness is often the first step in a therapeutic journey.

“I talk, kids stare, I talk again, bell ring.” – The day-to-day reality of a Teacher, often involving repeated explanations and the anticipation of class changes. Jeremy Padawer’s original Twitter prompt even led to responses like “I silently judge 18-year-olds for 5 hours a day, then I review their work and judge them again, but this time on a graded scale,” from a high school teacher in Nashville, Bored Panda reported.

A mechanic working under a car hood, emblematic of the 'car go kaput, make car go vroom again' description. — The satisfaction of turning a broken-down vehicle back into a roaring machine.

“Ppl want sticker, I put permanent sticker on them :)” – An adorable yet accurate way to describe a Tattoo Artist.
“I tell people have you tried turning it off and on again.” – The universal advice given by an IT Support Technician, often solving 90% of tech issues.
“Person not have product, I manipulate person, person have product.” – A brutally honest and funny explanation of a Salesperson’s core mission.

A teacher standing in front of a classroom, with students seemingly disengaged, illustrating the 'I talk, kids stare, I talk again, bell ring' description. — The daily routine of a teacher, often involving a lot of talking and a lot of waiting for that bell.

“I get verbally and physically bullied by people 1/3 of my size.” – A darkly humorous take on being a Preschool Teacher or Daycare Worker.
“Live-in therapist, chef, cleaner, hostage negotiator. Same two clients. No sleep.” – A truly insightful (and exhausting) description of Parenting.

A landscaper or gardener tending to plants, representing the 'tree grow. I give hair cut, tree happy!' description of an arborist or landscaper. — Ensuring trees are healthy and looking their best is a rewarding job, even if it’s just ‘giving them a haircut’.

“People watch me, I go ‘to be or not to be’, people clap.” – A classic, yet perfectly poor, explanation of an Actor’s craft.
“People sad. I make drink. People no sad.” – The simple, yet profound, impact of a Bartender.

A person getting a tattoo, illustrating the phrase 'ppl want sticker, I put permanent sticker on them :)'. — From temporary to permanent, a tattoo artist’s work leaves a lasting impression.

The Power of Honest (and Humorous) Communication

The beauty of this trend lies in its ability to strip away the pretense and jargon often associated with professional life. In a world where LinkedIn profiles paint every job in the brightest, most serious colors, “poorly explaining your job” is a breath of fresh air. It’s about:

Authenticity: People are tired of sterile job descriptions. This trend allows for genuine, self-deprecating humor.
Relatability: When someone describes their job as “I send emails about meetings and book meetings about emails,” every office worker nods in weary understanding.
Community Building: Sharing these humorous truths creates an instant bond among strangers, fostering a sense of shared experience and mutual appreciation for the quirks of different careers.
Breaking Down Barriers: It demystifies complex roles, making them accessible and understandable to outsiders, even if the description is comically simplified.

A person looking confused at a computer, representing the common phrase 'I tell people have you tried turning it off and on again' for IT support. — The ultimate troubleshooting step, often uttered by IT professionals.

This trend proves that sometimes, the “worst” way to explain something is actually the best way to reveal its truth and connect with others. It encourages us to look beyond the titles and consider the core, often humorous, essence of what we do every day.

A person looking at a healthy plate of food, contrasted with less healthy options, illustrating the role of a nutritionist or dietitian who advises on what to eat but often isn't listened to: 'Person sick, I tell them what eat. Person less sick if they listen. Person never listen'. — The eternal struggle of health professionals: giving good advice, but people not always following it.

From the early Twitter threads to today’s trending TikTok sounds, the “poorly explain your job” challenge continues to deliver side-splitting insights into the working world. It’s a reminder that humor is a powerful tool for connection, making even the most mundane or complex professions wonderfully human.

A group of students in a classroom, representing the description of a teacher: 'I yap. Tiny humans write what I say. Every few months I ask tiny humans what I said. If they remember, then they get to leave in a few years'. — A teacher’s role, simplified to its essence: impart knowledge and assess retention.

So next time you’re asked that classic question, consider changing the game. How would you “poorly explain what you do for a living” to make others laugh, nod in recognition, or simply say “aaah!”?